Burke’s blue eyes twinkled as he looked down at Ellie. “Syd has promised me that our first child will be a boy, to put a halt to pink domination in the younger generation of her family.”
“Don’t look now,” Ellie said, “but she really has no control over that.”
“The truth is that I don’t really care about the gender of our children. A little girl as beautiful as her mother would be fine with me.”
“That’s what I thought. Trust me when I say you weren’t fooling anyone.” She leaned back in the desk chair and studied his cousin. “But all this talk about children makes me wonder. Is there an imminent announcement on that front?”
“No,” Burke said. “We’ve discussed it, of course. Syd wants to wait awhile. Have some time for just the two of us. And I want what she wants. Making her happy is the most important thing.”
“She’s a lucky girl,” Ellie said. “She’s also right. After kids come along everything will be different forever. There’s no more being selfish, doing what you want anytime you feel like it. There’s another little human whose needs come first.” She smiled and her green eyes grew tender. “The weird thing is, you don’t really mind. There’s an overwhelming compulsion to do anything and everything to make your child’s life as perfect as possible.”
Sloan listened to his cousin and their architect discuss relationships with present family and future expansions of it. Again he felt as if he was on the outside looking in, a little empty. No personal experiences to share. Well, that wasn’t completely true. A time or two he almost jumped in with a comment about Maggie, her daughter and the obvious maternal devotion.
What stopped him was that any interjection would change the dynamic of this conversation and shift attention to him. And Maggie. He would push back and say there was no him and Maggie. Not because he was against the idea. And maybe she was beginning to weaken. Last night, after he made sure she understood that he wasn’t a forever-after kind of guy, he’d seen her regret and possibly a decline in her resistance. He couldn’t help contemplating his next move and wasn’t willing to discuss it.
“Right, Sloan?”
“Hmm?” He heard his name and knew a question was being asked, but had no idea what it was.
“I said, the partial closing of Blackwater Lake Lodge has really affected you.”
“Yes. Right.”
If he’d been able to get a room there, things would be different. He would probably have met Maggie, but doubted he’d have kissed her in the moonlight. The problem with kissing her was that it made him want more. Living in the same house, looking without touching, was skewering his focus and cranking up a need that grew more intense every day.
“How has it affected you?” Ellie asked. “Good or bad?”
“Both,” he answered honestly.
“Specifically?” Burke pushed.
“Home-cooked meals go in the good column. And not living in a hotel for this extended assignment is great.”
“What are the negatives?” Ellie wondered.
Maggie. Getting sucked in and captivated by her. Distracted every time he looked at or thought about her mouth, which led to contemplating what she looked like naked. He wasn’t going to say any of that, however.
“I don’t know. It’s just different, I guess.”
“Alex is doing the repairs and renovations,” Ellie volunteered. “He says it will only be a few more weeks until the cosmetic details are complete. Soon everything will be shiny, new and ready to resume full operations. The rooms are up and running and I know they’re taking reservations and accepting guests. And the restaurant is back in business. It’s the lobby area and reception/banquet rooms he’s concentrating on now.”
“So.” Burke sat on the corner of the desk. “It should be ready for my engagement party.”
“Yes,” Ellie answered.
“What party?” Sloan didn’t know about this.
“Didn’t I tell you?” His cousin frowned. “Damn, I meant to. Syd and I are having a party to celebrate our engagement. Don’t you ever talk to your family?”
“Yes.” But Sloan realized it had been a while. “Why?”
“I invited your folks and siblings. They would have said something to you if you ever got in touch with them.”
“They’re not coming, are they?” he teased.
Burke laughed. “Unless they cancel at the last minute, they said to count them in.”
“Oh, boy. Do you think Syd is ready for that?”
“She has brothers,” the other man said confidently. “She’s ready for anything. Besides, you have a terrific family. I spent a lot of time at your house growing up and I know this for a fact.”
“I can’t wait to meet them,” Ellie commented.
“Well, I hope it will be fun for everyone who got an invitation.” Sloan folded his arms over his chest.
“Aren’t you coming?” his cousin asked.
“I wasn’t invited.”
“Technically you are. I just forgot to tell you.” He shrugged. “I’ve been busy.”
“Yeah, I hear that.” Sloan grinned. “Of course I’ll be there. You’re the brother I never had.”
“Good. Feel free to bring a plus one.”
Ellie’s ears perked up. There was no visual confirmation of that fact, but her next statement proved it. “I heard you’ve been seeing Maggie.”
Sloan only wanted to shoot down that rumor because Maggie was so skittish about dating. But there was visual evidence to back up Ellie’s statement because the two of them had been out to dinner with Burke and Syd. Then there had been lunch at the diner and a bite to eat at Bar None after the chamber of commerce meeting. All of the above had been in full view of anyone in Blackwater Lake who cared to spread rumors. And that pretty much encompassed everyone in Blackwater Lake.
As far as Maggie was concerned, date was a four-letter word that she adamantly refused to use.
“Are you going out with Maggie?” Burke asked.
“I’ve been trying. But she doesn’t make it easy.”
* * *
At noon Sloan jumped into his car and headed to Maureen O’Keefe’s house. Maggie’s mom had called that morning and invited him to lunch at her home. She wouldn’t hear of him taking her out, so he was on his way. He’d met her briefly in Brady’s office, but today’s invitation had initially surprised him. Then he’d figured it out. People were talking about him and Maggie and word had reached her mother.
He turned onto the street where Maggie had lived and drove slowly, checking out her old neighborhood. There were well-maintained yards in front of one-and two-story houses. When the GPS told him he was in front of the right one, he parked in front of it and got out. There was a pine tree in the center of the grass with pansies planted around it. He took the brick walkway leading to the wraparound porch and front door. Almost immediately after he knocked it was answered.
“Sloan. Hello. Thank you for coming on such short notice.”
“Thanks for inviting me. It’s nice to see you again, Maureen.”
“You, as well.” She pulled the door open wider. “Please come in.”
He did, then sniffed. “Something smells good.”
She smiled a little tensely as she closed the door, then said, “I hope you like quiche.”
Because real men eat it. There was a message, and now he knew this meeting was going to be a thing.
“Please come into the kitchen. Can I get you something to drink? Iced tea? Water? Soda? Wine? Beer?”
“I have a busy afternoon, so iced tea would be great.”
While she got his drink, Sloan looked around. A granite-topped bar lined with stools separated the kitchen and family room. In it there was a fireplace with a mantel and above it was a flat-screen TV. Wood floors were broken up by ar
ea rugs scattered throughout the room. On the walls were beautiful framed pictures of scenes that looked familiar.
Maureen set a tall glass on the bar in front of him. “Here you are.”
“Thanks.” He glanced around the family room. “Are those pictures on the walls of the mountains and lake here in town?”
“Yes, they are.” Her tone indicated surprise and maybe that she was a tiny bit impressed that he’d recognized the subject matter. “They were taken by April Kennedy, a local photographer.”
“I’ve seen her store on Main Street. The composition of the shots is wonderful and the shadows and reflection of mountains on water gives them a black-and-white sort of haunting look.”
“Obviously you like them. You should stop by the store and see her. She has a lot more for sale.”
“Right now I have nowhere to hang them.”
“Because you’re staying at my daughter’s B and B.” Dark eyes—Maggie’s eyes—narrowed slightly, indicating a transition into her real reason for inviting him to lunch.
Sloan didn’t get to be a successful businessman by dodging the tough issues. And there was no doubt in his mind that Maureen O’Keefe was tough. What surprised him was his unexpected reaction to the third degree he knew was coming. He really cared what Maggie’s mom thought of him. Judging by what he knew of her daughter, this woman wouldn’t respect anyone who didn’t deal with her in a blunt, outspoken and honest way. Fortunately that’s the only way he would deal.
“You didn’t invite me to lunch just to be neighborly,” he said. “This is about Maggie.”
“And Danielle.” Standing on the other side of the bar, she studied him for a moment, her hands gripping a coffee mug. “My daughter told me about you watching my granddaughter the night before last.”
Sloan felt like a sixteen-year-old being interrogated about his intentions. He was so tempted to babble about his motivations being pure to convince her he wasn’t a bad guy. But long ago he’d learned it was always best not to embellish. In everything you said there could be something to use against you. So he forced himself to respond only to the question.
“I did.”
“You volunteered?”
“Yes.”
“Why would you?” The look she gave him said “convince me you’re sincere.”
“I was just trying to help out. Josie had to leave before Maggie got home from work. I was there doing paperwork and needed a break.” He shrugged. “It was a win for everyone.”
“And you got to look like a hero.” Maureen studied him for any sign that she was right.
“That wasn’t my intention. It was knee-jerk. Just responding to the situation in a helpful way.” He’d told her the truth; now it was time to push back a little. “Do you have a problem with that?”
“What I have a problem with is a playboy prancing into Maggie’s life and sweeping her off her feet.”
“Okay. Let’s get something straight. I almost never prance.”
One corner of Maureen’s mouth curved up for a moment, then the humor faded. “But you didn’t deny that you’re a playboy.”
“I am a male. But I don’t appreciate being labeled as a man who toys with a woman’s emotions.”
“There are a lot of stories in newspapers that beg to differ with you about that.” She took a sip of coffee. “Seems to me if there wasn’t some truth in them, you would be filing lawsuits right and left.”
“I have sued when lies were printed that hurt someone’s reputation,” he said.
“What about yours?”
Sloan could live with it mostly by ignoring what was printed. Number one: getting his name in the paper was a plug for his company. Number two: the sensational nature of the stories actually did him a favor. The women who came on to him because he was a wealthy, eligible bachelor were the ones he had no interest in. To anyone else, the articles were a horrible warning to avoid him like nuclear waste. It saved him from any temptation to break his no-commitment vow.
“My reputation,” he said, “is what it is. Anyone I care about who really knows me is aware that’s not who I am. The rest—” he shrugged “—I don’t really give a rat’s behind what they think.”
“I guess I fall into the latter category.”
“No, that’s not what I meant—”
She held up a hand to stop him. “Whether you did or not doesn’t change what I have to say. You’re a paying customer at my daughter’s bed-and-breakfast. I understand that’s business. But things seemed to have taken a personal turn when you volunteered to babysit my granddaughter. I feel compelled to protect the two of them and warn you that if you’re playing games with their affections it would be a very good idea for you to back off now.”
“I assure you that’s not what I’m doing.”
“Maggie has been hurt enough.”
Sloan met her gaze. “I understand what you’re saying. I get it.”
“Do you?” One of her eyebrows rose questioningly.
“Yes. I can’t force you to believe me, but I would never deliberately cause Maggie distress.”
“I truly hope you mean that.”
“I’ve never meant anything more in my life. She’s a special woman.”
Maureen’s face softened. “You’ll get no argument from me about that.”
He ran a finger through the condensation on the outside of his iced-tea glass. “The thing is, Maggie doesn’t want another relationship. She’s deliberately pushing me away. And before you say anything, I’m almost certain it’s not only about losing her husband.”
She frowned at him. “Why would you say that? How can you possibly know?”
“I kissed her.”
“I know. She told me.”
“She did?”
“It was two against one. Josie was on my side. Maggie said the kiss was nothing and both of you realized it meant nothing. Then she told us that you’re a womanizer who’s not interested in a commitment. That you’re a nice man. Good with kids, but all flirt and no depth.” Maureen shrugged. “I have perfect recall.”
“I can see that.” He was impressed. “What she may or may not have told you is that it was kind of her idea. She was going on about outrageous tabloid stories I was featured in and I jokingly asked if there was any way to stop her. She said, and I quote, ‘feed me or kiss me.’” He shrugged. “So I did and she kissed me back. It affected her and meant something. But ever since it happened, she’s been keeping me at arm’s length.”
“Maybe you’re wrong about the kiss.”
“I’m not.”
He met her gaze, trying to decide whether or not he should tell her how he could be so sure. Then he realized he had to. This woman cared about her family and wanted to protect them. Sloan wanted that, too, even if it meant doing something to protect her from herself.
“I know she’s attracted to me, Maureen. You’re probably thinking that’s ego talking, but that’s not the case. It’s experience. I’m not a playboy. I don’t lead women on, but I do have a—what should I call it?”
“Active social life?” Maureen suggested wryly.
“That works. The thing is, I’ve met a lot of women and I can tell when someone is just pretending or when she’s sincere. Your daughter doesn’t have a dishonest cell in her body. She’s open and honest. What she’s feeling is right there on her face. Anyone who takes the time to look can see what’s inside her.” He met her gaze. “Believe me when I tell you that she kissed me back, then retreated from what she was feeling.”
“Josie said she didn’t believe Maggie when she said it was nothing.” Concern replaced distrust on the older woman’s face. “It doesn’t take a gifted psychologist to realize she was devastated after losing Danny and doesn’t want to fall in love and risk being hurt again.”
Sloan fi
gured she didn’t pretend any more than her daughter did and was starting to believe him. “It feels to me as if she’s refusing to let herself be happy. Like a punishment for something.”
“What?”
“I wish I knew.”
“If you’re right,” her mom said, “I have no idea why she would do that.”
“You know her better than anyone.”
“I used to think so, but it seems you know more about her than I do.” She smiled, the first genuine warmth she’d exhibited since opening the door. “You’re finding out things I didn’t even suspect.”
“I have a feeling she’s buried whatever it is pretty deep. You have no reason to look for it.”
“But I’m her mother.”
“And she doesn’t want to disappoint you,” he said, knowing the feeling all too well.
“She never could do that. But I get it.” Maureen sighed. “We should eat. You have a busy afternoon and I promised you lunch.”
“It smells good,” he said again. This time he grinned. “And I happen to like quiche very much.”
She looked uncomfortable. “Don’t hold it against me. I planned the menu when I was sure you were a heartless jerk.”
“I have a heart,” he told her. “But there are people who would tell you that there’s no question I’m a jerk.”
“I’m not one of them.” She nodded resolutely. “I’ll put the food on the table.”
Sloan insisted on helping her. He needed something to keep his hands busy while his mind raced. And he came to a decision.
Since he was the one who’d discovered Maggie wouldn’t let herself be happy, it seemed like his responsibility to find out why.
Chapter Eleven
After lunch with Maureen O’Keefe, Sloan returned to work. When he exited the elevator into the reception area on his floor he found Brady O’Keefe waiting for him. And the man didn’t look happy.
The Widow's Bachelor Bargain Page 13